PLA Purge Reshapes China’s Succession Outlook Ahead of 2027
RSIS argues that although the purge of CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and CMC Joint Staff Chief Liu Zhenli is framed as corruption crackdown, the move signals factional reshaping within the PLA, raises questions about military cohesion and combat capability in the near term, and aims to steer civil–military relations and succession planning toward a Xi-centered leadership ahead of the 2027 Party Congress.